South Africa's double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius says he will appeal 'at the highest levels' the International Association of Athletics Federations' decision to ban him from their races on grounds that his prosthetic racing blades give him an unfair edge. (Tim Ockenden/Associated Press)

There is something about human nature and the competitive instinct. It defies the labels we attempt to burden sport with. All of us, in our own way, just want to play the game as well as we can. That should be enough to make us happy and stoke the fire of self worth. Sadly, it isn't.

Double amputee, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who has found a way to run with the best in the world, has been told by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) he cannot hope to compete at the Olympic Games. His prosthetic legs, in the IAAF's considered wisdom, give him an unfair advantage over able-bodied runners. A strange twist for a man who has struggled throughout his competitive life to prove that he can be an equal human being in spite of his so-called disability. Now, all of sudden, he's more than equal and still cannot play. How does that work?

It was with dismay that I read of the ongoing story concerning the female ski jumpers from Canada who are battling hard to have their sport included on the Olympic roster in time for the 2010 Games in Vancouver/Whistler. Theirs is an uphill battle now involving the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Minister of State for Sport. It may go all the way to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The International Olympic Committee, in its hesitance to give female ski jumping full medal status, cites the lack of global competitive depth and the fact that no world championships have yet been staged in this sport. So what?

Platform to perform

Let's face it, ski jumping should be open to women and Canada is the best place to pioneer the effort. This is the last bastion of gender inequality at the Winter Olympic Games and it's time to correct a wrong. What does it matter that Canadians may win a few of the inaugural medals while the rest of the world catches up? The same thing can be said of many sports that entered the Olympic arena before they were fully developed. I say give the female ski jumpers a chance to take off and inspire others. All they need is the stage on which to perform.

Canada's Katie Willis sails in the air during an international women's ski jumping event in Park City, Utah. (Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press)

Then there is the case of an exciting young hockey player by the name of Scott Stafford. He's a right-winger for the Junior B Sarnia Blast and he can really skate. Scott can also fire the puck with alarming accuracy and a hefty measure of power. He's a player like so many others of his seventeen years. Then again, if you look a little closer, Scott has a real difference and it makes him so very special.

Scott only has one hand.

Recently, I went to Sarnia to meet Scott and his family and ended up scrimmaging with him in the old arena down by the river. I was in awe of the way he could handle the puck and the vision that he had for hockey. From the very beginning Scott's disability was barely evident - something which was incidental to his character. Much more obvious was his overwhelming desire to perform with distinction and flair.

The coaches and managers of the Sarnia Blast were of a like-minded opinion. Their reasoning was, Scott made the team better and the disability was not a factor. He could just "flat out" play and therefore, he deserved a spot on the squad.

Although this rarity will be the focus of our story on Hockey Day in Canada, it should not overshadow the sidebar that came to light. As we scrimmaged that day, Scott and I were joined by members of his other team, the Canadian amputee hockey team, some of whom had driven five or six hours to support their young star during the filming.

These players whizzed around at tremendous speeds and I stood there slack-jawed as they turned goaltenders inside out with one-legged dexterity and then roofed unstoppable shots with a single forearm. These were players of all ages who boasted three world championship victories on their resumes.

Scott Stafford, left, enjoys some time on the ice with CBC Sports Weekend host Scott Russell.

Stafford confided in me that he was so proud to be a member of the national amputee team and that his greatest accomplishment was to win a gold medal with them while wearing the Maple Leaf. It was overwhelming to understand the connection the older players had with Scott and their obvious pride in what he had been able to do with the Sarnia Blast.

Still, it came to light, that these players cannot compete for a Paralympic gold medal once the Vancouver/Whistler Games roll around. Once again, the reasoning is that the sport doesn't have enough member associations, the depth of competition is just not there. I don't get it!

All sports need a beginning

As long as there is fierce competition, which involves more than one country, it seems to me that there is fertile ground for something good to happen. There has to be a beginning. These athletes are phenomenal and deserve a global audience. Only then will they be able to serve as role models and reach a maximum number of human beings. Those human beings will, in turn, be inspired by the wealth of talent and determination on display.

Sport is so vexing at times. Or perhaps, more accurately, some people who run sport are so frustrating. They seem to do everything in their power to douse the flames of competitive desire, which burn brightly in all of us regardless of race or gender or physical differences. Let's get it straight once and for all. The worst thing that can happen to sport is for someone to arbitrarily say, "You are not allowed to play."

As it is with everything in life, human beings will find a way. We will compete on our own terms. We can run our own races and score countless personal victories.

It's just that it would be so much better, if those of us who have a gift also have the right to share it. If some amongst us have the ability to reach new heights, it stands to reason legions of others can too.

Our instinct is, we just want to play the game as best we can.